To pay or not to pay for cooler air?

There has been quite a buzz on campus since the announcement that portable air conditioners are permitted in the residential areas.

For the first year in MVNU history, students are able to have air conditioning units in their rooms. To date, 17 students have taken advantage of the change, nine women and eight men. However, this comfort comes at a cost.

Students are required to purchase their AC units themselves – and pay $50 to Residential Life to compensate for the additional electricity costs. On top of this, students are only allowed to keep air conditioners in their rooms until fall break.

With this change brings many opinions on the newest addition to residential life. Some students are willing to pay the additional charges to have air conditioners for a short period of time, while others say they will take the heat – literally.

The biggest controversy: is it fair that residents living in the apartments and dorms without air conditioning have to pay extra while those assigned to living areas already equipped with this feature do not?

“We should have been able to have AC. I don’t understand why that wasn’t an option before now,” Birch resident Mariah Kick said. “I didn’t realize we would have to pay for the unit too. It’s kind of unfair that other people get air conditioning because they get better apartments.”

In the Galloway dorm, girls have differing opinions on the subject of paying for an air conditioner.

“I think it’s worth it to pay for the AC. It's easier to focus while I'm doing homework and not have to fan myself,” sophomore Amanda Troyer said. “You do have the noise, which is a little bit of a distraction, but you'd still have it from a fan.”

On the other hand, “I don’t find it worth it if I have to pay for it because you only need it for a couple of weeks and then it gets cold,” said sophomore Kayla Torres from Galloway. “But, it's a big difference having AC."

Another way students are registering air conditioners is with a doctor’s note. Students who need an air conditioner for medical purposes such as allergies do not have to pay the $50 fee.

Junior Lainie VanAmburg said her whole apartment benefits because of an apartment mate who needs an air conditioner for a medical reason. But, “I wouldn’t have paid $50 for one,” VanAmburg said. “It’s only hot for a little bit at the beginning of the year, so it’s not worth it.”